NSA Leaker Edward Snowden : I'm not Traitor, I'm American
(South China Morning Post) Surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden has spoken for the first time since blowing his own cover in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post.
The ex-CIA analyst has been holed up in secret locations in Hong Kong since fleeing Hawaii ahead of highly sensitive leaks revealing details of US top-secret phone and internet surveillance of its citizens.
Snowden's actions have been both praised and condemned globally.
But he told Post reporter Lana Lam: "I'm neither traitor nor hero. I'm an American."
Today, he reveals:
more explosive details on US surveillance targets
his plans for the immediate future
the steps he claims the US has taken since he broke cover in Hong Kong
his fears for his family
The 29-year-old was working for defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton at the National Security Agency (NSA), the biggest spy surveillance organisation in the world, when he leaked information claiming the US was systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data. Snowden fled to Hong Kong after using Britain's Guardian newspaper to expose the agency's PRISM program which gives officials easy access to data held by nine of the world's top internet companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Skype.
People who think I made a mistake in picking HK as a location misunderstand my intentions. I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality
"People who think I made a mistake in picking HK as a location misunderstand my intentions. I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality," Snowden told the Post earlier today.
He vowed to fight any extradition attempt by the US government, saying: "My intention is to ask the courts and people of Hong Kong to decide my fate. I have been given no reason to doubt your system.''
It is believed the US is pursuing a criminal investigation, but no extradition request has yet been filed. Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the US, although analysts say any attempts to bring Mr Snowden to America may take months and could be blocked by Beijing.
His actions have been both praised and condemned globally, with some hailing him a hero while others a traitor. Some senators have accused Snowden of treason.
5 years ago